This invention is related to football helmet face masks, and more particularly to a bead that can be snapped on the individual mask frame members.
Football players usually wear a helmet having a face mask to protect their face. A conventional face mask is usually formed of a wire frame mounted in front of the user's face. A problem with such face masks is that opposing players will occasionally grab the mask and inflict serious damage to the player wearing the helmet.
One approach to resolving this problem is to mount a series of individually rotatable beads along each of the exposed wires of the frame normally grasped by the opposing player. The obvious way to mount the beads is to string them on the wire during the manufacturing process. The ends of the wire are then welded to the remainder of the frame to complete the mask. The problem with this method is the heat of the welding process tends to distort those beads adjacent the welded joints. In addition, it is impossible to replace a damaged bead once the frame has been welded together.